The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1887-08-13


my attention, it was true but they
had looked or me as so much her
senior-She was but sixteen, bey-
ond thirty-that they had never i'm
agined the possibility of my becom-
ing a lover. However, when they
found that Emily loved me, they Of
fered no objection, stipulating, how
ever, that our marriage should be
deferred for one year, that we might
study each others characters more
closely during that time additional
request, that our betrothal should
not be made public. If at the ex-
piration of that time we both re-
mained unchanged, they promised
that she should become mine. l
pleaded in vain for Il speedy mar
riage ! feared that the prize which
/ had won might possibly be lost to
Inc and with all my natural i'm
petuosity of temper, | sought to Sc
cure Immediately what l hoped
would perfect my day dream ofhap-
piness. They were firm.
"Their daughter they said, "was
very young, and might possibly
have mistaken girlish liking for
more serious attachment. I, too,
might be influenced by passing
fancy"
l yielded to what l could not con.
troll, but there was source Of salts
faction mingled with my disappoint-
ment. l saw that my wealth had
no influence in their decision, and
the fear which had always haunted
me-of being married from merce-
nary motives, was destroyed at
length l was loved-fondly and de-
votedly loved, and for myself alone.
The year passed away more rap
idly than l had anticipated. Oh !
what happy year was that
Friendless, alone, sorrow-stricken
old man, on the verge of the grave
look back upon that period as the
sunny hour of my existence. In
my dreams l recall it, and once
again those happy days, with their
bright hopes, their blissful realities,
are mine. But to my story,
Daily my betrothed grew nearer
and dearer to me though modesty
restrained any protestations of love
her silence was more eloquent than
words. The year passed happily
away, and my wedding day arrived
i would have made it the occasion
Of festival wished the world to
witness my proud joy but my
bride looked on marriage as too sol
emn, too serious thing for mirth.
A prouder, if not happier man,
was when, after we had finished
the bridal tour, she was at last in
stalled-when | received the con-
gratulatious of my friends, and
heard the whispered murmur of adj
miration which her beauty excited.
Fete after fete was given to her, and
we plunged into. the maelstrom of
fashionable matrimonial dissipation.
Emily, however, preferred the quiet
pleasures of home to the gay scenes
into which she was introduced-and
so, in truth, did l but my vanity
rejoiced in her triumphs. Secluded
as she had been from society, she
had none of the fault of the iniated,
and was proud to contrast her art
less, unaffected mien and modest
dignity with the stately pretensions
of those around her.
At length the bridal parties were
over, and in the quietude of our
home our characters began gradual
ly to unfold themselves in each
others view | found that / was
not mistaken in my estimate of my
wife's love. 1t was n deeper and
more devoted affection than l had
ever dreamed or thought Of She
loved ma with all the warmth of her
warm, impetuous nature her faults
were not called into action, and she
was radient with all those good
qualities which so delight a man.
How very happy we were how
very happy we might have remain
ed. My moon of perfectlove was at
its full ! stood on the topmost pin
nacle of happiness. Hitherto | had
burned at the novclist's description
of the intensity of the passion but
their widest, their most visionary
dreams fell short of that Elysium of
delight-that Eden of bliss which l
enjoyed with Emily. All was joy,
all brightness but the shadow de-
scended on my HEARTH brought
it there. | fed it. l nursed it, un-
til the light ofjoy was extinguishod
and the sun of happipess had de-
parted forever.
have said that my temper was